Where does a person’s sense of self worth come from? How do we learn to love others? There is no doubt that the environment in which a child grows up plays a significant role.

Although we are born with personality traits and potential, those elements are shaped into character through our most significant relationships. If a child is abandoned, neglected or in other ways unloved they will carry the scars throughout their life. Although many things can be forgiven and forgotten, an emotional imprint is still there.

Finding Value and Purpose

People everywhere search for meaning and purpose. Even a child who is loved wonders what life is about, and where did the world come from? Consider the example that is used in the video below: A violin’s value is only fully realized when it is used for the purpose for which it was created – playing beautiful music. How does this idea apply to your life?

Name one thing you have learned about yourself, and about love, through relationships in your family.

This video series, “Lasting Imprint”, is based on the Divine Principle, the teachings of Rev. Sun Myung Moon. The quotes below summarize his teaching on the value of family.

“God exists as the embodiment of True Love… He created us as His sons and daughters. He is the True Parent of humankind. God wanted Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, to mature in purity, centered on True Love. He wanted Adam and Eve to become true people. He created this beautiful and delicate natural world as the environment for their biological growth. Human beings were to grow and develop within this environment…Adam and Eve were meant to mature in God’s love and become true individuals, true husband and wife, and, by rearing children, true parents. People experience God’s True Love step by step, throughout the stages of life’s growth. Each individual is meant to come to know the heart of children through the love of their parents, the heart of a sibling through the love between brothers and sisters, the heart of husband and wife through the love of a spouse, and the heart of parents through loving children. The family is the foundation upon which we establish these four realms of love and heart. The family is the basis for love, happiness, life and lineage. We cannot learn and experience these four realms of love anywhere other than in the family. We know love only through actual experience. The true perfection of the individual, family, society and environment has its root in the realization of love within the family.” 8/31/96

“The family is the school of love, the most important school in life. In the family, children expand the capacity of their hearts through education in love and emotions that only parents can provide. This becomes the cornerstone to form the children’s character. Further, the family is the school teaching virtues and norms. Education in academics, sports, technology, etc., should be given on the foundation of this primary education in heart and norms; this is the heaven-designed way. Hence, just as parents should become true parents and give their children true love, they also should become true teachers and educate their children properly in heart and norms. Though children may not be aware of their parents’ role as true teachers, inevitably they learn from them and come to resemble them. The role of parents is that important.” (271:80-81, August 22, 1995)

“An individual human being is more precious than the universe. Each person’s value is infinite, because he or she is created as God’s partner of love.” – Sun Myung Moon